Ruengoethe

The Syndicate

The Syndicate, officially known as the “Syndicate of Merchants to New Lands,” is a joint-stock company based in the duchy of Vesterine, but conducts most of its business in the Free Colonies and Zapandi. The company is chartered by the Throne of Ackenzal and has been granted a near monopoly over trade with the western continent. They deal primarily in saltpetre, cotton, coffee, salt, and opium. They have recently been attempting to end the monopoly the Academy has on the trade and distribution of Syanthazoa within Ackenzal, with little success due to the Academy’s special representation within Ackenzal’s parliament and the Syndicate’s complete lack of official representation due to the Syndicate’s refusal to join the House of Guilds.

The Syndicate holds great power—some even claim more power than the Throne—and is the de facto ruling power in the so-called Free Colonies. The Syndicate employs privateers and mercenaries to enforce its own brand of law in the lands beyond the reach of the realm’s law, and has brutally put down any sign of rebellion within their large overseas holdings.